Misdiagnosis is a form of medical malpractice where an incorrect diagnosis of a patient's symptoms is made by a physician. This may mean that an illness is missed by a doctor, an illness is diagnosed as something other than what it actually is, or that a patient is diagnosed with an illness which they simply don't have. Misdiagnosis malpractice may have serious implications for the victim. For example if an illness is not diagnosed, or is diagnosed wrongly, this may delay medical treatment for the illness being suffered by the patient. For many illnesses, including cancer, this may lead to permanent complications and even death. A patient may also be exposed to significant danger through medication or surgery which may be entirely unnecessary if a diagnosis is incorrect, but may lead to further medical complications or disability. Finally, if a patient is diagnosed with an illness they do not have, they may suffer severe anguish and incur significant medical costs for treatment, only to find out later that they don't have the disease.